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Childlike Simplicity and Our Lady in the Congregation of The INSTITUTE OF SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS FORMATION TANGAZA COLLEGE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EAST AFRICA TITLE OF THE LONG ESSAY CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY AND OUR LADY IN THE CONGREGATION OF THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF OUR BLESSED LADY Author: Sr. Florence Muchingami (L.C.B.L) Tutor : Rev. Fr. Aelred Lacomara (CP) April 2001 NAIROBI - KENYA INSTITUTE OF SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS FORMATION TANGAZA COLLEGE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EAST AFRICA TITLE OF THE LONG ESSAY CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY AND OUR LADY IN THE CONGREGATION OF THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF OUR BLESSED LADY Author: Sr. Florence Muchingami (L.C.B.L) Tutor : Rev. Fr. Aelred Lacomara (CP) This is a long essay submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a diploma in Religious Formation April 2001 NAIROBI - KENYA 11 S.. STUDENT'S DECLARATION I hereby declare that the material used herein has not been submitted for academic credit to any other institution. All sources have been cited in full. Signed:tnnL-filktin:Intri Lca; Sr. Florence Muchingami L.C.B.L Date : Tutor : Rev. Fr. Aelred Lacomara (CP) Date : 111 DEDICATION I dedicate this work to my family, congregation and all the little ones who reveal God's presence and hold the secrets of the Kingdom. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to all who have helped me along the journey towards the completion of this work. Many thanks go to my supervisor Father Aelred Lacomara (CP), without whose encouragements, patience and directives this paper could not have been realised. I also thank Fr. Peter Edmonds (SJ) for proof reading my work and his constructive ideas and suggestions. I thank Sr. Cresencia Muzuva for typing the Bibliography, the Contents page and above all for her example in living the charism of the congregation. Let me extend my gratitude to Fr. Dominic Izzo (OP), the Director of the Institute since I started this work for his constant readiness in supporting, commenting and encouraging. I also thank all the staff of the Institute who taught within the two years. Many friends and colleagues have contributed through their encouragements and feedback. I am happy to thank them all. I would like to express my appreciation to the members of my community for their invaluable assistance in many ways. I thank my Spiritual Director Rev. Fr. F. Masawi (SJ) for his guidance and support through out the course. My sincere gratitude goes to my congregation for allowing me to take up Spirituality and Religious formation studies in Nairobi. I thank the Allamano Community for allowing me to use their computer and library. It is true that all who gave a hand in one way or the other in this work cannot be calculated here but I sincerely thank them all and cherish them in my heart and with warm appreciation. I say God bless you all. ABBREVIATIONS L.C.B.L : Little Children of Our Blessed Lady L.G. : Lumen Gentium Gen. : General Edi. : Editor vi CONTENTS TITLE STUDENT'S DECLARATION III DEDICATION IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENT V ABBREVIATIONS VI GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER! 3 1.0 IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE FOUNDER'S BIOGRAPHY 3 1.1 FAMILY BACKGROUND 3 1.1 a) ASTON CHICHESTER' EARLY CHILDHOOD 3 1.1 b) ASTON CHICHESTER'S VOCATION 4 1.1 c) ASTON CHICHESTER AS A JESUIT 5 1.1 d) ASTON'S EARLY YEARS OF HIS MINISTRY 5 1.1 e) DYNAMISM OF RESPONSIBILITY AT EARLY THIRTIES 6 1.1 0 FATHER ASTON AS A MISSIONARY 7 1.1 g) FR. ASTON AS BISHOP OF SALISBURY 8 1.1 h) RETIREMENT AND DEATH 9 1.2 HISTORY OF FOUNDATION 11 1.2 a) THE EARLY YEARS OF FOUNDATION 12 1.3 CHARISM AND SPIRITUALITY OF THE CONGREGATION 13 1.4 CONCLUSION 15 vii CHAPTER II 16 2.0 CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY AND SOURCES 16 2.1 CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY AS DISCIPLESHIP IN MATHEW 18: 1-4 16 2.2 HUMILITY IN THE BENEDICTINE SPIRITUALITY 20 2.3 THE HUMILITY OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI 22 2.4 CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY AND THE IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY 24 2.5 CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY WITH ST. THERESE OF LISSIEUX 26 2.6 CONCLUSION 28 CHAPTER III 30 3.0 OUR LADY AND THE CONGREGATION 30 3.1 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 31 3.1 a) SUPPORTING EVIDENCE 33 3.2 HER MODEL IN LIVING CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY 33 3.3 HER CHALLENGE TO THE CONGREGATION 36 3.4 CONCLUSION 40 CHAPTER IV 42 4.0 INTEGRATING CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY AND OUR LADY IN LCBL FORMATION 42 4.1 OUR LADY AS AN AGENT OF FORMATION 43 viii 4.2 THE IMPORTANCE PURITY 45 4.3 POINTS OF INTEGRATION 46 4.4 GENERAL CONCLUSION 49 SONG FOR LITTLE ONES 51 ASTON CHICHESTER'S PRAYER 51 ix INTRODUCTION At the heart of humility or childlike simplicity lies faith. Faith gives this virtue value and this faith means trusting someone. Little ones according to the Gospel values are always cheerful for God is not happy to see long faces. In the world today most people prefer to discuss humility rather than live it and with that they never achieve since the true source and meaning of humility are to be found in God alone. My intention is to find some practical examples of living humility as God wants. It has been my desire since my Novitiate to explore the charism of our congregation. I am privileged this third Millennium to begin exploring this theme. I say this because what the paper contains is very limited and I feel there is more unwritten material to enrich me in the exploration of this childlike simplicity. The gift of my studies in Tangaza College has made it possible and I thank God for that. Our founder thought it best to give us childlike simplicity as our Charism and Mary our Blessed mother as our advocate and patroness. "Nothing is higher than humility says saint Ambrose, since humility is highest placed of all". In gratitude therefore, under Our Lady's patronage I would like to explore the relationship between Mary and our charism and how we as a Congregation can follow suit. The first chapter is going to be our founder Aston Chichester's biography together with the history of our foundation and the Charism and Spirituality of the Congregation. The second chapter concentrates on the theme and sources. This is to consider childlike simplicity in the Gospels i.e. (Mt. 18: 1-4) and in other sources like in the Benedictine spirituality whose contribution seems to have enriched our founder, in St Francis of Assisi whose humility he asked us to reflect on and in the Ignatian spirituality that was our founder's own. I consider too St Therese of the Child Jesus whose simplicity he asked us to contemplate on. The third chapter is focused on Our Lady and the Congregation. This would include elements of dr her Immaculate Conception, one of our feast days as a congregation. I will also consider her model in living childlike simplicity as well as her challenge to the congregation. Chapter four concentrates on integration of the element of childlike simplicity in one's life. I will concentrate on formation in the congregation. The virtues that surround childlike simplicity are numerous and call for a lot of contemplation in order to bring the message home. In all 'what God wants is poverty of spirit, the denial of covetous desire and the charity of self-giving, which alone opens the heart of perfect love of God and generous love for others'.1 I Albert Gunn, The Poor of Yahweh (Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1963), p. 74 CHAPTER I 1.0 IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THE FOUNDER'S BIOGRAPHY 1.1 FAMILY BACKGROUND Aston Sebastian Joseph Chichester was born on 22nd of May 1879 at Ostend. His father was Hugh Arthur Chichester, the son of Sir Charles and Lady Barbara Chichester. His mother was Alice Chichester the Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stainforth. His family was composed of four children that is three sons and one daughter. Charles Arthur and Amyas Francis Joseph were older than Aston. The daughter, the youngest, died at infancy. Aston Chichester had a cast on his eye from birth and had many operations as a child resulting from this eye but all the operations were unsuccessful, The majority of the sons down through the ages served their Sovereigns in the army or the Navy. The ancestry could be traced back to King Henry 1(1068-1138). Aston's mother does not seem to have accompanied her husband to India on any occasion and after his final return and retirement from the army, they separated. 'There does not seem to have been any reconciliation.'2 Hugh Chichester had custody of the children and he took them to England where they lived in London. 1.1 a) ASTON CHICHESTER'S EARLY CHILDHOOD Aston and his brothers were educated at a Jesuit institute at Spinkhill. Aston joined the institute in September 1889 when he was ten years of age. He was 'a good average student'.3 During his second year in College he took part in a Shrovetide play. He was also chosen to take part in an Academic Exhibition where selected scholars gave before those invited, short displays of their 2 Francis C. Barr Archbishop Aston Chichester 1879-1962 ( Gweru: Mambo Press, 1978),p.3 4 3 proficiency in various subjects. In 1894 his subject was Thucydides Book 11 and the next year Greek composition followed by the small part of Gower, an English Officer" in Henry V, Act V Scene 1.4 He was an all-rounder in sport —football, cricket and boxing. All his life he retained a great interest in sports and athletics.
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